Lost Within, LiquidSpace, Tiny Guardians and more hit the App Store this week

As the flow of updates geared towards the Apple Watch continues to increase, you may be feeling a little left out as you look down at your iPhone. There’s no need to be quite so despondent though, because a bevy of exciting new iPhone and iPad apps also exploded onto the App Store this week.

Whether you’re in the mood for a thrilling adventure, a perplexing puzzle, or something in-between, this list has you covered. If you somehow still find yourself wanting more after reading through this article, remember to keep checking back. We make lists of App Store releases and updates almost every day.

Lost Within

Exploration and bone chilling suspense are the order of the day in Lost Within. Amazon Game Studios’ iOS debut looks like it stands to make quite a first impression. Players will find themselves trapped in an asylum that has certainly seen better days. That’s not to say that it doesn’t still have its fair share of residents though. Survival is your only goal, but it certainly seems to be easier said than done. This game is available for $6.99.

BLACK – B&W Film Emulator

There are a million ways to touch up a photo, but sometimes that classic look is all you need. BLACK boasts B&W filter options and quality that can’t be found in other apps. With a host of presets and purchasable manual adjustment options, this app seems to deeply explore the range provided by classic black and white photography. This app is available for free with a $1.99 in-app purchase for manual adjustments.

LiquidSpace

When I worked in an office building, we had a small, stuffy, windowless room that we used for meetings. Outside of that room hung a lonely, beaten up white board with a permanent marker taped to it. When you wanted to use the room you just scratched away at the board, and hoped that people weren’t having some kind of potluck in there when you arrived for your meeting. LiquidSpace is a crazy concept that seeks to make that experience exponentially better. As I can only describe it as airbnb for office spaces, this is something you really have to check out to understand. LiquidSpace is available for free.

ZenDots

ZenDots is what you get when Bust-A-Move and pinball are mashed together into a single experience. The gameplay focuses on using a white ball to break colored balls free from the ceiling. There is a bit of difficulty in stopping the white ball from dropping while allowing the colored ones to pass, but the main draw of the game is to simply relax. The colors and music are nice and make the game at least worth a look. ZenDots is available for free.

Layer – simple is hard

Layer may look a little familiar to some of you. That’s because it is a beefed up version of the 2013 web-based puzzle game Koutack. The original developer has lovingly transformed this gem into the perfect pick up and play mobile puzzler. Simply rearrange the tiles until they are all neatly stacked, and you’ll be well on your way to completing Layer’s over 120 puzzles. This game is available for $1.99.

Tiny Guardians

When I first got an iPhone, I played almost every tower defense game that became available for it. They just seemed like the perfect fit for the device. The sessions were short, they were easy to control, and they could make the most of the small screen. Over time though, fatigue set in and I haven’t really picked one up in ages. Tiny Guardians’ called me back into the fold, however, with its charming art style and upbeat music. Not to mention the fact that this game has a few small tricks up its sleeve when it comes to how tower defense games are played. Tiny Guardians is available for $3.99.

Halo: Spartan Strike & Halo: Spartan Assault

Halo fans will be happy to hear that Master Chief has made the long, hard journey to iOS. They will be even happier to hear that he was able to shake off the in-app purchases that were doggedly pursuing him. When Halo: Spartan Assualt, the first in the series, originally launched, it became the new standard for ridiculous microtransactions. There was almost nothing in the game that could be acquired without purchasing additional content. That has apparently changed with this new release, however, as the App Store listing shows no additional content available. I have yet to look into the games, but Christian Zibreg did a brief write up on them that you can check out here. Spartan Assault and its sequel Spartan Strike stormed the App Store with a bundle price of $9.99, while separately they will run $5.99 a piece.

App Recaps

App Recap for April 13
App Recap for April 14
App Recap for April 15
App Recap for April 16